Performing a bench press. Correct bench press technique. Low point of the exercise

The article will discuss variations in the technique of performing the classic basic exercise. bench press horizontal bench, wide grip. This article is the result of my many years of searching for the optimal bench press technique for myself. I have never thought so much about any exercise or searched for information. And the point is not in my special attitude to this exercise, but in the body structure that is unsuccessful for the bench press - Long hands, a flat chest and an inflexible spine (accordingly, the most successful structural features for the bench press are short arms, a barrel-shaped chest and increased flexibility of the spine).

Perhaps, I have collected in myself all the morphological features that are unsuccessful for the bench press and, as a result, the bench press has always been for me problematic exercise. In this article, I will briefly outline everything that I managed to understand in the biomechanics of the bench press on a horizontal bench with a wide grip, trying to understand it almost throughout my many years of training, and practical conclusions that allowed me to increase my bench press three times from the original one, and also, highlight three different styles of performing the bench press, which I consistently “passed” by increasing my bench press from the initial level (not yet knowing everything that is stated in this article) to my current level (thus, I am only writing about that , which I used in practice). The article will present both generally accepted ideas and concepts, as well as my personal understanding of some aspects, which does not claim to be true or “correct.”

The horizontal bench press with a wide grip is the main exercise for the chest, anterior deltoids and triceps, i.e. basis athletic development muscles of the front part of the torso (pectoral and anterior deltas).
Also, the exercise is competitive, a test to assess the strength of the upper body.
Depending on the technique of performing this multi-purpose exercise, it is possible to shift the emphasis of the load both to the top and bottom of the pectoral muscles, as well as to connect additional muscles to lifting the barbell, such as the latissimus and leg muscles (press in powerlifting).
As mentioned above, three options for performing the bench press technique will be considered, which I classified as: "fitness press", "bodybuilding", "elevator"(powerlifting and generally competitive).

A little anatomy and biomechanics

The main driving force in the wide grip bench press is the large pectoral muscles. The pectoralis major muscle has a fan-shaped structure: extensive attachments of fibers on the lower ribs, sternum and collarbone, converging to the attachment point on the humerus like the handle of a fan - layering on each other and forming a thickening that forms the anterior wall armpit. In addition, in addition to the overlay position at the insertion site, the fibers are also somewhat twisted, causing the lower fibers to attach higher on the humerus than the upper ones.

The main action of the pectoralis major muscles is to flex the humerus bones in the shoulder joint, in horizontal plane, or simply put, bringing the arms together in front of the torso.

In this movement, the entire muscle contracts - multidirectional fibers of the upper and lower parts of the pectoralis major muscle act relative to each other at a certain angle, and the direction of their resultant coincides with the direction of the fibers of the middle (horizontal) part of the muscle.

But due to the specific nature of the location relationships shoulder joint, places of attachment of different parts of the muscle on the chest and humerus, to realize this consistency, the humerus should not be strictly perpendicular to the torso, i.e. at an angle of 90*, and slightly brought towards the torso, i.e. lowered so that the angle is less than 90 * (but not less than 45 *, otherwise the dominant movement will be normal flexion in the sagittal plane and priority in the movement will go to the front parts of the deltas).

Besides, top part The pectoralis major muscles can act as a normal flexor (in the sagittal plane) along with the anterior part of the deltoid muscles, and all parts of the muscle - adduct the humerus to the torso along with the latissimus dorsi (in most movements the pectoralis major muscles are antagonistic to the latissimus, but in adducting the humerus they synergists).
In relation to the bench press, it is possible to combine horizontal flexion with adduction of the humerus - due to the raised chest due to the deflection of the spine (more on this below). Horizontal flexion begins to be combined with adduction when, in the initial position with straight arms in front of the torso, the angle between the straight arms and the torso (in the sagittal plane) is less than 90*.


This also contributes to a more complete involvement of all parts of the pectoralis major muscles in the movement.

The synergists of the pectoralis major muscles in the bench press with a wide grip are the front deltoids and triceps. If the work of the triceps is more or less unchanged, then the degree of involvement of the front parts of the deltas can vary depending on the angle between the humerus and the torso (in the frontal plane) - the smaller it is, the more load falls on the deltas.


When the humerus is positioned perpendicular to the torso (angle 90*), the “place” of the front parts of the deltas in the movement is partially “taken” by the upper part of the pectoral muscles, which mainly carries out the movement of the humerus, with the mediocre participation of the deltas and main (middle and lower) muscles. parts of the pectoral muscles. When the humerus is positioned at a 45° angle to the torso, the degree of participation of the anterior parts of the deltas in the implementation of the horizontal bench press with a wide grip is greatest, and it is believed that the anterior deltoids and pectoralis major muscles are involved equally.

Practice

Actually, in this section I will try to present a description and practical aspects of three options for performing the classic bench press with a wide grip on a horizontal bench, the way I see and understand them.

This version of the bench press is sometimes mistakenly considered “bodybuilding”, because. indeed, some especially gifted, in the literal sense of the word, competitive-level athletes perform the bench press in exactly this way and with naturally decent weights. Their talent, in this case, is genetic; it lies in the fact that they can perform exercises any way they want, sometimes simply without knowing or understanding the correct technique, and at the same time not get injured, progress and achieve results.
Surprisingly, sometimes even fitness instructors in gyms, people who by profession must understand what’s what, teach their students exactly this version of the bench press as the “correct” one.

Bodybuilding press, this is the same good old bench press, as grandfather Schwarzenegger bequeathed it to us.


The most common version of the bench press, the most physiological, safe and the best way stimulating the development of the torso muscles (the pectoralis major and anterior deltoids, as well as the triceps). And although, as follows from my article, there are at least three variations of the bench press technique, if you choose one that most closely describes the “correct” technique, it would certainly be the bodybuilding variation of the bench press.


It contains such an element as the “deflection” of the spine, which in turn is divided into lumbar and thoracic (mainly, of course, lumbar, because thoracic region the spine is inactive due to the ribs forming a relatively rigid frame of the chest), but the essence of which is the same - the spine is extended to an arc, between two areas in contact with the bench - the spines of the shoulder blades brought together and the buttocks. This is not yet an elevator “bridge”, but:

• lumbar deflection and raised chest with the shoulder blades brought together and pressed to the bench as much as possible;
• tense buttocks and legs that sit firmly on the floor;
• slightly forward (towards the legs) elbows and lowering the barbell to the bottom of the pectoral muscles in the nipple area, as a result of which the shoulder bones are not a priori perpendicular to the torso as in a fitness press, but make an angle of less than 90* with the side surface of the torso at the bottom point of the press.

The role of raising the chest due to deflection is worth mentioning separately. Namely, that with this position in the bench press, in addition to a reduction in the amplitude of movement and less stretching of the muscles at the bottom point (the most powerful position), the humerus bones not only bend in the horizontal plane (or flexion in the horizontal plane is combined with normal flexion when the humerus bones are positioned at an angle of 45 * to the torso in the frontal plane), but due to the position of the humerus at an angle of less than 90 * to the torso in the initial position in the sagittal plane, the flexion movement begins to be combined with adduction, which also contributes to the most complete involvement of all parts of the pectoralis major muscles.

In principle, the greater the deflection of the spine, the better result(if the result in the bench press is an end in itself), but varies greatly individually depending on the flexibility of the spine (it is advisable to gradually develop the flexibility of the spine with special exercises, which will be discussed below).

Reducing the angle between the humerus and the torso in the frontal plane, at the lowest point, from 90* to 80-45*, allows you to reduce the stretch of the chest at the lowest point and “turn on” the entire mass of the pectoralis major muscles to full strength, since the total thrust of all The fan-shaped muscle fibers converging towards the humerus begin to work to lift and bring together the humerus bones in front of the chest. But there is no direct relationship here - the more you press your elbows, the better the result.
The only thing that is certain is that the elbows should not be “splayed” to the sides, but placed forward to improve the biomechanics of the press.
But to what extent this can be done, in the range of 80-45* of the humerus to the torso in the frontal plane, depends solely on the individual characteristics of the ratio of musculoskeletal levers and thrusts, the ratio of the strength of the pectoral muscles and anterior deltas, and is determined practically as the most comfortable and powerful position humerus at the lowest point.
But in principle, in bodybuilding, where the goal is maximum development of the pectoralis major muscles, it is not customary to press the elbows too hard - usually this is at least 70-80* of the humerus to the torso, i.e. elbows slightly forward (as in the photo on the left), and in sports where the result in the bench press is an end in itself, more often the elbows are pressed harder - up to 45* of the humerus to the torso (as in the photo on the right).


According to the position of the shoulder bones to the torso, due to the need to always keep the elbows strictly under the bar, the place where the bar touches the chest at the lowest point can be in the range from the middle of the pectoral muscles to their lower part or even lower - under the chest.

In the bodybuilding press, the butt “sits” tightly on the bench, and the legs, although tense and firmly resting on the floor, perform not so much a supporting function as a stabilizing one on the bench, so they can be placed quite freely and in a variety of ways: wide, narrow, directly under buttocks, in front of the buttocks, or they can even be placed with support only on the toes of the feet - whichever is more convenient for you.

In practice, to comply with all the above conditions, the sequence of actions to take the correct starting position and then press may look like this:

• lie down loosely on the bench and grab the barbell lying on the racks with a wide grip;
• place your feet close to the bench so that your buttocks tense;
• without removing your hands from the bar, bring your shoulder blades together and pull shoulder girdle down the bench, thereby creating a deflection and raising chest(do all this in one movement - simultaneously contracting the erector spinae muscles and the muscles that adduct the scapulae to the spine (middle part of the trapezius, rhomboid));
• feeling the emphasis with your shoulder blades pressed together on the bench, support on your tense buttocks and legs, squeeze the bar, take 2-3 deep breaths and while inhaling, holding your breath, remove the bar from the racks, bringing it with straight arms to the top or middle of the chest, exhale and inhale lower the bar to the middle or bottom of your chest until it touches;
• at the moment of contact, hold your breath and, without pausing, lift the barbell to the starting position, exhaling somewhere in the upper third of the lift (hold your breath at the beginning of the lift - for a low and medium number of repetitions with the appropriate weight, for a high number of repetitions with a light weight, hold your breath , of course, to nothing).

The lifter's press is the same as the bodybuilding bench press + bridge. In my understanding, the “bridge” in the bench press is not the lumbar and thoracic arch of the spine (which is also present in the bodybuilding bench press), but rather the bridge, i.e. has the same essence as the gymnastic, wrestling bridge. Namely, deflection with the absence of the supporting function of the pelvis, when support is provided only at two points - at the ends of the bridge. Accordingly, in the bench press these are the feet and shoulders (the top of the trapezius, and the contracted shoulder blades may not even touch the bench at maximum deflection of the spine), and the athlete seems to stand on his feet and shoulders, only touching the bench with his buttocks.


Since there is an element of “getting to your feet,” it is advisable to place your feet approximately under the buttocks and naturally the support should be on the entire foot.




At the same time, the bridge in the bench press of course presupposes a fairly strong deflection of the spine (usually a minimum - like the maximum deflection in the bodybuilding press), but a strong deflection is a flexible concept and can vary depending on the flexibility of the spine. Just like a gymnastic bridge - anyone can stand on a gymnastic bridge, but the type of this bridge, depending on flexibility, will be very different. It’s the same in the bench press - you don’t need to have the flexibility of a professional gymnast to implement the bridge technique (of course, it would be nice, and professional bench pressers often have fantastic flexibility, but as I said, most people don’t have it, and it’s not necessary).


In this case, the barbell, after being lifted from the racks, is brought to the middle or bottom of the chest, and lowered under the chest (in the area between the nipple line and the solar plexus), with the elbows pressed to the torso while lowering.

The amplitude of the press with this technique is reduced to a minimum, which directly proportionally affects the amount of weight lifted (the less extension of the shoulder joints and flexion of the elbow joints at the bottom point of the press, the more weight can be lifted - in fact, this is already a partial press, and not a full-amplitude one), and pressing the elbows to the torso and the very specificity of the movement of straightening the arms in this position of the body (a combination of normal and horizontal flexion of the humerus bones + their adduction) contributes to the maximum involvement in the work of bringing the humerus bones in front of oneself not only of all parts of the pectoral muscles, anterior deltoids and triceps , but even the latissimus muscles in the initial phase of the lift, which under normal conditions are antagonists of the pectoralis major muscles. In fact, bringing the biomechanics of the bench press closer to that of push-ups on wide bars, where, as is known, a record number of torso muscles are used for one exercise ( dips also called "upper body squats").

Another feature of the lifter press, in my opinion, inseparable from the bridge technique, is the maximum reduction and lowering of the shoulder blades when taking the starting position. Actually, I didn’t know what truly retracted and depressed shoulder blades meant until I switched to the bridge press. The need for this additional contraction of the shoulder blades and their lowering down (along the back towards the legs),


I experienced it precisely when implementing the bridge technique, while in the usual bodybuilding press, I thought that everything was fine with the retraction of my shoulder blades.

In other words, if we transfer the concept of lowered or elevated shoulder blades to the vertical position of the body, the shoulders should not be raised up towards the ears, as in shrugs with a barbell or dumbbells ("shrugs"), but should be lowered and brought together as in the final position of a deadlift – shoulders are lowered, shoulder blades are brought together, the chest is protruded.

Regular stretching exercises performed after training, a balanced load on the back and chest muscles during training, provide sufficient joint flexibility, stretching and muscle strength to bring the shoulder blades together in the bodybuilding press, but special training is required for the lifter press. In particular, next exercise for flexibility of the shoulder joints and stretching of the chest, without the ability to perform which, maximum reduction of the shoulder blades in the bench press is impossible.

If you can’t hold a gymnastics stick (anything light, straight and long enough) with a wide grip, lower it back from a position above your head until it touches your buttocks and lift it back up, then the potential for bringing your shoulder blades together has not been realized, and it’s worth working on (the trick of this exercise is not inversion shoulder joints, as you might think, especially if it doesn’t work out, but in the conscious maximum reduction of the shoulder blades when lowering gymnastic stick down backwards and then lifting it up - then the discomfort in the shoulder joints will be minimal, and the exercise will become easy and natural).

Also, when switching to a bench press with a bridge, you need to regularly (optimally - after each workout, when the muscles are warmed up) work on the bridge itself, doing a regular gymnastic bridge on the floor and bending while lying on your stomach (training the static strength and endurance of the muscles that hold the body in position bridge), and special exercises to increase the flexibility of the spine (stretching the corresponding muscles and ligaments).

In general, the lifter's press with all its features is designed for results in the bench press as an end in itself. I think when doing fitness with weights, it is not advisable to master the lifter press technique. Moreover, from my past experience, I have concluded that the bridge technique cannot be truly effective on initial stage training – when the muscles are untrained and uncoordinated. During this period, attempts to bench press while standing on the bridge are not only ineffective, but also taking away the strength and concentration to hold the bridge, will most likely lead to a decrease in the result in the press. Only after creating a certain general strength and muscular “foundation”, the bridge and all the technical features attached to it begin to “work”. At least I, being at the level of the working weight in the bench press in the range of 60-100 kg., repeatedly tried to press while standing on the bridge, and nothing good came of it - it began to work out, and gave additional impetus to the growth of the result in the press, only when the worker the weight passed over 100 kg, which I “reached” exclusively with the “bodybuilding” bench press technique.
I think, again without pretending to be the ultimate truth, the point here is the inability of an untrained person to “collect” and coordinate the efforts of almost all the muscles of the body to carry out the most powerful and powerful bench press, and given the energy consumption of the efforts of all the muscles of the body at once, this is not possible for beginners. From my own experience, I think you need to first increase your bench press by about two times from the original one, doing it with bodybuilding technique, i.e. while maintaining the supporting function of the pelvis, and then you can try to master the “lifter” technique (if the goal is maximum results in the bench press).

The sequence of actions for taking the starting position in the “lifter” press can be as follows (alternatively, there can be many of them - everyone has their own, this is the option I use):

It is this bridge that provides a stable base for a powerful press, rather than simply lifting your butt off the bench.

Next, remove the bar from the racks, holding your hands as you remove the bar with your elbows slightly forward, not to the sides, and bring it to the middle or bottom of your chest.

Lower the barbell onto the solar plexus area (pressing your elbows as you move down) until it touches your torso, then immediately lift it slightly, shifting toward your head so that it is in its original position above your chest. As you lift the barbell, you can turn your elbows slightly to the sides (this controlled movement has nothing to do with the involuntary “spreading” of the elbows to the sides at the very beginning of the lift, which indicates poor technique). Try to lift quickly and powerfully. When lowering, you shouldn’t hesitate either - you should lower it with maximum speed, which allows you to maintain control over the barbell (“throwing” the barbell on the chest and “beating” are not appropriate here), since slowly lowering wastes strength and energy, which may not be enough to lift.

P.S. Another thing that should be said about the “bridge” technique in the bench press is that one should not confuse the deprivation of the pelvis’ supporting function due to standing on the bridge before the bench press and holding it the entire time the exercise is performed - with maintaining non-supporting contact of the buttocks with the bench, with involuntary lifting butts off the bench during the bodybuilding press - due to poor uncontrolled technique, this very bodybuilding press.
I believe that the involuntary lifting of the butt from the bench in the bodybuilding press, which many people and not only beginners are guilty of, is nothing more than an involuntary, reflexive attempt of the body to move into a more powerful supporting and power position to complete the repetition.
For those who currently have such a problem (involuntary lifting of the butt off the bench), I can advise you to decide on a bench press option - bodybuilding or lifting.
If you choose a bodybuilder, you should learn not to include your legs in the press, and the first remedy for this is to elevate them. Of course, we are not talking about placing them on the edge of the bench, but about stands 10-20 cm high (I once used platforms / plinths for deadlifts), which should be placed on the sides of the bench in front of it, and put your feet on them , so that they still perform a function that stabilizes the body on the bench, but give the torso the opportunity to fully perform the press - being in a supporting position only on the bench (with support on the compressed shoulder blades and pelvis).
If you choose the lifter’s version of the bench press, then you just need to master the stereotype of standing on the bridge before the bench press and holding it the entire time the exercise is performed, having read the section above (and naturally, looking for Additional information in other sources - special literature on powerlifting).

N.B. When describing different styles, I rather rigidly “packed” them into a narrow framework, according to clear criteria, in accordance with my vision of such elements of the press as bridge, deflection, supporting function of the pelvis and legs, etc. I am sure that many experienced athletes think differently. For example, that the deflection of the spine is the bridge, and the supporting or non-supporting function of the pelvis cannot in any way divide the exercise into different options, etc. Moreover, I myself saw a bench press of 250 kg. with deflection of the spine, but without depriving the pelvis of its supporting function, i.e. “bodybuilding” press according to my classification, at a powerlifting competition. The fact is that with this article I am not going to assert anything, much less argue with anyone. This is actually my most subjective article. I’m just sharing my vision of the situation that I developed during the “processing” of a lot of information on the bench press (often contradictory) and attempts to put it into practice over the course of several years. Accordingly, my vision of the bench press, formed during my training experience, which is effective for me, may not coincide with the vision of another person with a different view of the bench press, which is no less effective for him. I am also sure that my experience will be useful to many, which is why I wrote this article.

Some universal technical subtleties of the bench press

1) As for the width of the grip, it also reduces the amplitude as the deflection/bridge, but the established competition limit is 81 cm (between the hands and inside), puts athletes with short arms relative to the torso in a somewhat advantageous position compared to long-armed ones, and if something can be done with the amount of deflection by developing flexibility, then you can “fight” with long arms only by developing their strength, in particular deltas and triceps (the so-called “auxiliary” to the bench press - standing and sitting press, dips, bench press with a medium grip).

If participation in competitions is not expected, then athletes with different anthropometry will have different “wide” grips: for some it may be 90 cm, and for others – 70 cm. A universal way to determine the optimal grip width in the bench press lying down wide grip, regardless of the style in which this press is supposed to be performed (fitness, bodybuilding, powerlifting), it is very simple: with the elbows bent at an angle of 90* and the humerus perpendicular to the torso, the forearms should be perpendicular to the bar - this will be the optimal width of the “wide grip” in bench press, as well as wide-grip pull-ups, overhead presses (I wrote more about choosing the optimal wide grip and its variations in the article "correct pull-ups").

All beginners have a tendency to have a narrower grip, due to weakness of the torso muscles and an involuntary desire to shift most of the load to the arms. It's natural and if medium grip feels more comfortable in presses and pull-ups, then you should use it - as the strength of the large muscles of the torso increases, gradually expanding it to a “real” wide one.

2) When talking about the technique of the classic bench press with a wide grip, it is considered bad manners not to mention that the forearms should be vertical (perpendicular to the floor, the barbell - the essence is the same) at the lowest point. I did not fail to mention this when describing the bodybuilding bench press, although in this “golden rule” not everything is as simple as is commonly believed, and in my opinion it is only partly true. Or rather, from which side to look (in the literal sense): if you look from the side of the head or legs, then a slight deviation of the forearms from the vertical in the plane of the bar is “camber”, a completely acceptable and even inevitable phenomenon if you press with a wide grip while pressing your elbows to torso. You can, of course, if you press your elbows to your torso, grab it narrower, thereby keeping your forearms vertical - this is the so-called. “triceps” press with a wide grip, or rather a medium-wide grip, which is practiced by some powerlifters (with strong front deltoids and triceps, and a relatively weak chest - which, however, is not very clear to me, because in this case, isn’t it more advisable to work on the strength of the pecs , which will give even greater results in the bench press than adapting the bench press to a weak chest..., but often the weights lifted in this way are so large relative to my best result, which is not for me to judge).

Another thing is the verticality of the forearms, when viewed from the side - the need for this is unconditional and is also known as the need to keep the elbows strictly under the bar (and at any point of the movement, and not just at the bottom, since control of the barbell and the rationality of the applied efforts directly depend on this) .


Failure to do this, when tilting the forearms towards the head, will lead to excessive bending of the arms at the elbow joints and, as a result, overstrain of the triceps, which in this situation will become a weak link limiting the result, or the barbell will simply be pulled towards the head, with loss of control over it. Throwing your forearms towards your legs will lead to a loss of control over the barbell and it will simply be pulled towards your legs, which is where the bench press attempt will end.


A general rule that allows you to always keep your elbows under the bar and control the barbell accordingly: the more your elbows spread to the sides when lowering the barbell (up to the position of the shoulder bones perpendicular to the body), the closer to the neck the bar drops; The more the elbows are pressed against the body, the further the bar is lowered from the head, right up to the solar plexus.

Those. The elbows and bar should always be in the same plane, on the same vertical line, and the forearms should remain vertical accordingly when viewed from the side.

3) In the initial position, lying on a bench, the shoulder blades should not only be brought together as much as possible, but also preferably lowered (down along the back, i.e. towards the legs). As already mentioned, if we transfer the concept of lowered or raised shoulder blades to the vertical position of the body, the shoulders should not be raised up as in shrugs with a barbell or dumbbells (“shrugs”), but should be lowered and pulled back (shoulder blades retracted) as in the final deadlift position.
However, there is an individual approach here, as with the angle of the humerus to the torso - some people just put their elbows forward, while others press them to an angle of 45* of the humerus to the torso. It’s the same with the shoulder blades - some people simply bring them together and begin to press, while others use conscious effort (the lats and lower parts trapezius muscles) additionally omits them.
One thing is certain - the shoulders should not be raised towards the ears, i.e. at a minimum, they should be in a natural lowered position, and when taking the starting position for the press, bringing your shoulder blades together, you should pay attention to whether your shoulders involuntarily rose up.

4) There is a lot of controversy surrounding the “closed” or “open” grip in the bench press. As far as I know, competing athletes are not concerned about this topic due to the competition rules, according to which the grip must be closed. As for the amateur bench press, the debate does not stop between supporters of both grips. I can only express my point of view on this problem.

Theoretically, the “closed” grip itself is certainly safer than the “open” one. On the other hand, practically, the grip is not as important as full control vulture, which determines which is not where it is located thumb- under the bar or covers it, and the compression force of the bar and grip with it.
In other words, you can grab the bar with the “correct” “closed” grip, but if you don’t squeeze it properly, your palms will be sweaty and slippery, and the bar will be wet or greasy, then the bar may not slip out of your hands and fall on your face, but and you won’t be able to do a normal bench press – in this case, it’s better not to take up the bench press.
Thus, if the grip on the bar is good, the bar is properly compressed in the hands, then the danger of an “open” grip is greatly exaggerated. Hence the conclusion: first of all, you need to ensure that the barbell is dry and clean, your palms are not sweaty, and also train your grip strength, not to mention the fact that the bench press does not tolerate lack of concentration and carelessness.

As an aid to the above, we can recommend sports magnesium (not to be confused with talc, which worsens grip), which dries out the palms and improves grip on the bar, and in the absence of magnesium, fitness gloves (it is important to carefully choose your size so that your hand does not dangle in them, and pay attention to the material of both the inner side - so that the hand does not slip in them, and the outer side - so that it provides good grip on the bar, as well as overall strength).

To conclude this topic, I will say that in all the photographs of Arnold where he does the bench press that I have seen, he holds the bar with an “open” grip - it is difficult to imagine that Arnold Schwarzenegger may not understand or know something about the bench press, most likely he it’s just more convenient, like many others, and if the above safety rules are observed, the risk of the barbell slipping out of your hands with a catastrophic collapse on the chest or face, which is so scary for adherents of the “open” grip (there are even videos demonstrating this on the Internet), tends to zero. I don’t advocate for an “open” grip - I myself often use both grips (probably depending on my mood), but I always focus my attention on grip on the bar and compression strength - since not only safety, but and the effectiveness of the efforts made in the exercise.

Also on the topic of grip, the position of the wrists during the press - if possible, they should be kept straight or almost straight, avoiding hyperextension - when the bar “hangs” on the wrists extended “all the way”.

To prevent the wrists from hyperextending, and to increase the efficiency of transferring force from the working muscles to the barbell, before squeezing the barbell, it is necessary to position it closer to the base of the palm, and not to the fingers.

5) As for how “deep” to lie under the bar when taking the starting position on the bench, there is a direct correlation with what version of the bench press is used. So, in the bodybuilding press, it is customary to lie down on a bench so that the bar on the racks is above the face, in the frame from the forehead to the chin, and more specifically, individually - who is more comfortable and who presses how - along a vertical or inclined trajectory towards the head. In the lifting press, it is customary to lie deeper, because. In the starting position, the bar is immediately placed on the bottom of the chest, so it will be convenient to take the barbell when it lies on the racks above the neck or even the top of the chest - the main thing is that the racks do not interfere.
The point here is that if you lie too far from the racks, it will take a lot of strength to remove the barbell from the racks and bring it to its original position above the chest, and this will not add psychological confidence and body stability on the bench, which are important if lie too close - the bar will catch on the racks during the press.

6) Such a trick as the technique of lifting a barbell with an inconsistent angle of the humerus bones to the torso. It can accompany a lift with a displacement of the bar along the press towards the head (it was already mentioned above that in the press a slight shift of the bar towards the head is possible, and an absolutely vertical lifting trajectory is also possible). The “walking elbows” technique consists of taking the barbell from the racks, not bringing it straight to the chest, but leaving the bar approximately above the collarbones, then lowering the bar under the chest, pressing the elbows to the torso, and lifting it with an offset towards the head to the starting position, according to During the lift, turn your elbows outward (but you shouldn’t bring your elbows to the full extension to the sides as in a fitness press - still, the angle of the humerus bones to the torso should be less than 90 *, and in the starting position with straight arms, the elbows should “look” a little forward, i.e. remain slightly forward).


This technique allows you to maximize the participation of the deltoid muscles in the bench press, not only the front, but partly even their middle parts, and despite the increased amplitude of the barbell movement due to horizontal displacement, which is inversely proportional to the weight lifted, in some cases (strong deltoids, long arms , some individual characteristics of the biomechanics of musculoskeletal levers and thrusts) this option may be the most effective.

In addition to this method of lifting the barbell, the “walking wrists” technique can also be used, the essence of which is that when lowering and raising the barbell, do not keep your wrists fixed straight, as is usually recommended, but when lowering the bar, slightly extend your wrists (extension is a movement towards the back of the hand), when lifting, straighten your wrists accordingly synchronously - this will reduce the amplitude of movement of the bar by a couple of centimeters compared to a straight and stationary position of the wrists.


All these “walking elbows and hands” techniques are designed to improve control over the barbell and involve additional muscles in the lift, and have nothing to do with involuntary movements of the elbows and hands - for example, when, after lowering the barbell under the chest with elbows pressed, simultaneously with the start of the lift, the elbows involuntarily “move apart” to the sides and the press, supposed to be a strength one, turns into a fitness press (if you manage to lift the weight at all), or for example, when immediately after taking the barbell from the racks, under the weight of the barbell, weak wrists are unbent and the barbell “hangs” on the extended “all the way” wrists throughout the exercise. Here it is important to understand the difference between no technique and advanced strength techniques: moving the elbows and hands while lifting the barbell due to poor control and weakness of individual muscles, and consciously controlled movements of the elbows and hands while lifting the barbell to improve efficiency.

7) The most important element of any bench press technique, the shoulder blades are maximally reduced and fixed in this position. If during the bench press the shoulder blades move to the sides, then this is the same as “walking” knees in squats. Squeezing and holding your shoulder blades in this position is the basis for producing maximum strength and precise, controlled technique in the bench press. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to training the muscles that adduct the scapula to the spine (bringing them together), these are the deep rhomboids and the middle parts of the trapezius lying on top of them. In addition, training these muscles will allow you to avoid stooping, which can be caused by hypertonicity of hypertrophied pectoral muscles, which remove the shoulder blades from the spine and generally pull the entire shoulder girdle forward.
It was already mentioned above special exercises to improve the reduction of the shoulder blades in the press, but it is also important to pay attention strength training back muscles in general - no less than strength training of the chest muscles.
It is advisable to always do it together with the bench press. Bent-over barbell row or seated horizontal block row, i.e. classic basic exercises for the lats, but they must be performed with strict technique and moderate weights - without “cheating”, focusing on moving the humerus back and bringing the shoulder blades together at the top point, for high-quality development of not only the lats, but also the rhomboid and trapezius muscles.


Pull-ups on a bar are also useful (see article "correct pull-ups"). And so
it’s important not to forget to do stretching pectoral muscles - mandatory after exercise, and also useful between workouts.

Conclusion:

Serious development of the pectoral muscles, deltoids and triceps is unthinkable without the bench press. Developed muscles chest, deltoids and triceps automatically assume a strong result in the bench press. There is a directly proportional relationship here and regardless of the goals, it makes sense to strive to increase the result in the bench press. But depending on the priority goal, you can use different variations of the classic bench press technique. If the priority is muscle development, the “bodybuilding” version of the bench press is advisable. If the priority is strength and specifically the result in the bench press, the “lifter” version is advisable (after some initial “preparation” with the bodybuilding version).

Switching to the bridge technique (“lifter” press), as described in this article, allowed me to overcome the “dead point”, giving a new impetus to the growth of the result - I added about 10 kg. in the bench press, with virtually no change in body weight, i.e. purely due to the transition to a more rational power press technique.
On the other hand, I haven’t completely abandoned the “bodybuilding” press, sometimes doing it during “light” workouts (with light weight for a large number of repetitions), since I think it’s useful specifically for the chest muscles.
“Fitness press”, according to my classification, I described for the sake of formality and consistency in presenting information, but in essence it is simply an incorrect and ineffective pressing technique that is better not to use.

The article is intended for a wide range of readers. It examines and analyzes different techniques for performing one exercise - the wide-grip bench press on a horizontal bench. The article was written on the basis of more than 15 years of experience of the author in regularly performing this exercise, superficial knowledge of physics-mechanics, functional anatomy and physiology. The article does not claim to be the ultimate truth or completeness of the information provided.

Additionally:

N.B. I just took the video from YouTube, and have no relation to the sites or video channels on which it is posted and which it advertises, and if the exercises in the videos below are correct, this does not mean that all videos presented on these sites or video channels demonstrate the correct technique execution (this is a typical situation when in the same Internet source where there are many demonstration videos with exercises, some of the exercises are presented with good correct technique execution, and the other part of the exercises does not stand up to criticism). I warn you about this in order to avoid misunderstandings - I carefully selected each exercise in accordance with my understanding of the correct technique, and I am responsible only for the information contained in my blog!

"bodybuilding" press.Key points: the support is mainly on the flattened shoulder blades and pelvis (tense buttocks), and the legs are firmly on the floor and tense, but they perform not so much a supporting function as they serve to additionally stabilize the body on the bench. The degree of deflection of the spine and the angle of the humerus to the torso can vary individually within the framework indicated in the article.

“lifter” bench press with a bridge.Key points: the pelvis is completely deprived of its supporting function, and the athlete seems to stand on his feet and shoulders, maintaining unsupported contact of the buttocks with the bench, or not completely, but the distribution of the supporting function between the pelvis and legs is strongly shifted to the legs, and tense buttocks can rest on bench for additional body stabilization (just as tense legs are on the floor for additional body stabilization on a bench, in a bodybuilding press). The degree of deflection of the spine and the angle of the humerus bones to the torso, as well as in the bodybuilding press, can vary individually.

The reference stereotype for the lifting press technique of the movement of the humerus bones (the angle of the humerus bones to the torso in both the frontal and sagittal planes, the trajectory of movement and the place of contact with the bar):

“lifter” press with a maximum bridge(inaccessible to me and, I think, to most amateurs - requiring special training"for the bridge", and not just just bench press).

Controlled rotation of the elbows during the lift. You can see the pressing of the elbows when lowering the bar, and a slight controlled turn of the elbows when lifting - what I wrote about in point No. 6 of some universal technical subtleties of the bench press. Although it is visible, frankly speaking, unclearly - few people use this feature, and finding a video with it, and even from an angle so that it can be clearly seen, is generally not easy.

All sorts of different things... As I wrote in the article, my division of bench press technique options according to clear criteria is conditional and subjective. The bench press, perhaps like no other exercise, is an individual thing - it is important to find for yourself exactly what will allow you to realize the advantages and neutralize the disadvantages of the structure, the ratio of the strength of the muscles of the synergists involved in the bench press, and other individual characteristics. Within the framework of an individual approach, there may be options that do not fit into the clear criteria of my classification - my experience may not be suitable.
Here are a few more videos of different bench press techniques, differing in the degree of deflection of the spine, pressing of the elbows (the angle of the humerus to the torso), distribution of the supporting function between the legs and pelvis, the trajectory of lifting the barbell, within the framework of an individual approach to the bench press:

A bridge with support on the toes and, probably, incomplete deprivation of the pelvis’ supporting function:

Maximum deflection of the spine (inaccessible to amateurs), and, apparently, again with incomplete deprivation of the pelvis’ supporting function:

Bench press along an inclined path - shifted towards the head, with elbows tucked in:

Press along a vertical path, with elbows tucked in:

Just an interesting video(press 380 lbs or 172.25 kg)

The bench press is very important exercise, which allows you to develop the chest muscles, as well as triceps, muscles of the back of the arms and front deltoid muscle shoulder and is very useful for both women and men. But all this is only possible if you know how to do the bench press correctly A and do this exercise. This question includes consideration of grip width, arm placement, back and body, as well as other points. Read on to know all the details.

The bench press can be performed either with dumbbells or a barbell, or in a special machine known as a Smith machine, which limits the movement of the barbell in the horizontal plane, so the exercise loses a little in effectiveness, although it becomes safer. Other variations include bench press incline bench in both directions to emphasize the upper and lower parts of the chest, respectively.

Technique and body position

• Lie down on a bench under a rack that holds the barbell. Your eyes should be approximately level with the A-pillar.
• The buttocks, shoulders and head should be tightly pressed and in the same plane with a slight (neutral) curve of the spine. Your legs should be flat on the floor with all your feet, and spaced relatively wide apart.
• Do a few warm-up presses to get your muscles working.
• When you're ready, add your main weight to the barbell. Just do it gradually to understand what weight is optimal for you.
• Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width, as shown in the photo.

The type of grip determines which muscle groups will be used first. With a narrow grip, the load shifts to the triceps and the middle of the pectoral muscles. With a wide chest. With average it is distributed evenly.

• Remove the bar from the rack and lock your elbows before lowering the bar to your chest at nipple level. The bar should be lowered strictly in a vertical plane, and not in an arc, as most beginners do. This may cause injury!
• Take a deep breath and slowly lower the bar to chest level, but do not lower the bar onto it! Control the movement.
• Press the barbell up and exhale when finished. Repeat.

To get used to doing the bench press and for greater safety and correct execution, be sure to use a partner for insurance and “guiding” the exercises.

What are the possible implementation options?

Arching your back, focus the load on the lower pectoral muscles. This way you can press more weight.
If you lift your legs off the floor and keep them suspended or on a bench, you can completely remove tension from the lower back and concentrate on working your chest.

Also, to learn how to do the bench press correctly, be sure to watch the video above. Good luck!

The simple truth is that the barbell bench press is considered the optimal choice for pumping up the upper body. This detailed guide will show you the correct technique, a list of the muscles worked and variations of the press.

Many pioneers, when they come to the gym, are immediately faced with incorrect technique. Someone needs to point newbies in the right direction. A manual, a photo with instructions, or a demonstration video of this article can serve as an assistant.

The sooner we thoroughly study the basics, the better the muscles will begin to grow. It is required to thoroughly study the intricacies of the bench press.

What is a bench press?

The bench press is the most important basic exercise to gain significant chest muscle and strength. Execution involves the upper body. Pumping up your chest can increase your strength. The table below shows the muscles involved during the exercise.

Muscles involved

You should familiarize yourself with the options.

Classic press

Classic style is a popular position. Performed horizontally on a bench press. The athlete holds an iron bar under measurements on outstretched arms. Lower it by touching the pectoral muscles. Then squeeze to the full amplitude of your arms. The duration of the pause is a second.

Bench press

It is possible to carry out work in the frame, protecting your training. An athlete who has problems with extensor mechanisms should only train here. It allows you to limit the amplitude of movement by selecting the desired angles. The pain should disappear. It is not recommended to press with minimal pain.

Smith machine press

The legendary Smith machine has a multifunctional type of mount. The athlete lies down on a bench, having previously secured the bar horizontally. The advantage of the frame is that it can be performed without insurance. A special setting in case of loss of the barbell from your hands will preserve your health.

Rapid Incline Press

Another type of bench press. The athlete works at a different angle. Thanks to the additional trajectory, the upper part of the pectoral muscles is worked out. The higher you place your head on the bench, the more the load increases.

By changing your grip you can balance the angular load when in different forms grip The load will go where it needs to go. A wide grip is more aimed at pumping up the middle of the chest, while a narrow grip falls on the triceps and lower chest.

An incline bench will help remove stagnation in your bench press. You need to vire training process, shaking the top, bottom and middle of the chest.

One-touch or quick press

A fast style of touch pressing builds endurance.

Horizontal variation requires the following:

• You need to grasp the bar firmly with both palms.
• Slowly lower the bar with the weight.
• You can't press it.
• Survive with explosive force without exhaling until your elbows are fully straightened.
• Your feet should be firmly pressed to the floor, your chest should be out, your lower back bent forward.
• Retract your shoulder blades slightly.

The difference from classic squats is the ability to similarly squeeze heavy weights. A safe angle prevents the risk of injury. Achieved thanks to a small angle of movement trajectory.

Technique for performing the bench press in animation

Hand position

Grasp the iron bar with both hands. Squeeze the iron tightly with your palms. Distance 60 centimeters from hands. Thumb cover the top of the round iron part of the fingerboard. It is not recommended to use five fingers together. A little secret - to increase the working weight you need to squeeze the barbell tightly with your palms.

Correct finger position

Move your pectoral muscles forward upward. Position will help you adjust your breast exposure technique gluteal muscles. Press them tightly to the surface of the bench, bend your back and stand on the bridge. Twisting the body thus achieves a reduction in amplitude. The productivity of the exercise increases.

Stability is important for movement. Dangling of the body, arms, legs is unacceptable. You can increase stability by using the shoulder blades on your back. Bring them together and press them against the bench. The barbell can be handed to you or removed from the safety holders yourself. The elbows are straight, the legs are pressed to the floor, the chest is exposed and the projectile is in line with the eyes.

Position of feet on the floor

The position of the feet on the floor is the most problematic place for beginners and experienced athletes. Legs shouldn't run around like they're dancing. Place your feet under your knees, spreading your legs out to the sides as support pillars. You cannot tear it off while moving. If the weight is heavy and the hips of the legs move, then this is normal.

The tilt of the projectile must be performed at an angle. The bar below is forced to lightly touch the chest. Pressing is contraindicated. Breaking this rule can result in serious injury. Possible death.

Turn your elbows 75 degrees. You cannot press your elbows to your body due to a lack of full amplitude. The wrists should be in one position without swinging. It is forbidden to spread your elbows to the sides due to the risk of injury. Watch your technique even during light weights.

The upper section should be held completely on straightened elbows. Pointing forward is extremely dangerous. It’s easy to get injured in the elbows, stomach, or head. Leaning backwards threatens the life of the athlete. Watch the fixation carefully. If you have problems with technique, then ask a specialized trainer for help. Practice your technique with light weights.

Bench pressing on your own is unacceptable. If you have a bench with safety restraints, then it is allowed. Safety stands will help the athlete protect himself from unforeseen situations.

Correct breathing

Correct breathing is achieved through the starting position. Grab the bar with your hands. Lower along the trajectory without exhaling. A good breath provides a more powerful stretch of the chest fibers and fixation of the body core.

You can't breathe out down there. When you have reached halfway, you can exhale. You will get a powerful reflex push. You cannot empty your lungs to avoid losing control.

Years of progress and honing of bench press skills contributed to the growth of the overall level. Therefore, it is worth highlighting the main tips for perfect work:

• The pause below is no more than one second. Inertia will make it possible to quickly squeeze out the weight. After stopping at the bottom, the person slows down the movement at the level of reflexes, and muscle fibers stop being fully involved in work. And if there are a lot of repetitions, then it is more difficult to squeeze the weight further. You will have to endure for the scales to move forward.
• Inhaling air into the lungs is necessary to stabilize the levers of the body. They will be safe thanks to the strong push. The muscles will start working better, and the joints will not get injured.
• When passing the “dead point” of the most difficult section, you need to exhale strongly.
• You need to hold your breath for up to 3 seconds.
• The legs serve as support pushers for holding and fixing the body.

Who should do it? The exercise is intended for an athlete of any level. It is better to do the base at the beginning of the workout. Then add, include the Svend press, machines and triceps. For strength, it is better to do 3-4 sets of 3-6 repetitions. Endurance 6-12.

Does not exist more effective than a simulator than the bench press. Perfectly solves the problem of mass growth and strength indicators. The trajectory falls to the center, but surprisingly three work chest points. In case of missing sections, turn on additional simulators for revision.

The basic press strengthens the arms, makes the blow stronger, and increases the power of the throw.

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Many novice athletes who come to the gym for the first time start with the barbell bench press. This complex multi-joint exercise is heard by everyone, even those who are far from sports. Athletes of many disciplines and sports cannot do without it. In weightlifting, in which the snatch and clean and jerk are performed, there are several bases and one of them is the bench press. In bodybuilding and powerlifting, of course, you cannot do without this exercise. Therefore, we will consider its features and technique in more detail, as well as grip options.

Features and benefits of the bench press exercise

The bench press is a basic multi-joint exercise that allows an athlete to work with free weights, and the exercise equipment can be loaded to extreme weights.

What muscles work during the bench press?

This exercise is designed to train most of the muscles in the upper body. The exercise develops as well. If we talk about the technique of performing a bench press with a “bridge,” then the work also includes.

• You can start your workout with this exercise, however, under no circumstances should you perform the exercise without warming up your joints and muscles.
• The first approaches should be performed with light weights. For example, an athlete performs a warm-up approach with an “empty” bar, and the second (this can also be considered a warm-up) with a light weight, which is selected individually.
• Usually the first approach is 12-15 repetitions, during which you should perform the movements in a concentrated manner.
• Each approach can be evenly added to the weight so that from the first approach to the last the entire range of weights is worked out (for example, 4 approaches: first warm-up - empty bar; second - 20 kg; third 40 kilograms; fourth - 50 kilograms). The kilograms described are the total weight of the weighting discs, excluding the bar.

Bench press technique

The classic version of the exercise is performed in a horizontal position using a bench press.

1. In the starting position, the athlete holds the barbell with a wide grip and straight arms. You need to place your hands on the bar in such a way that when the bar is at its lowest point, your forearms are in a vertical position.
2. The movement should be performed without jerking, stopping, or “beating” against the chest.
3. The movement begins by slowly lowering the barbell to the middle of the chest while inhaling.
4. As you exhale, the barbell is pressed up through the muscles involved in this exercise.
5. At the highest point of amplitude, don't straighten your elbows. Straightening the elbow joints risks injury.
6. The technique of performing a bench press does not imply a pause at the lowest point of the amplitude. But in bench press or powerlifting competitions, a pause at the bottom of the movement is required. Return to the starting position is carried out at the command of the judge.
7. It takes two seconds to lower the barbell in the classic version, after which the sports equipment is quickly squeezed back out.

Common mistakes

• By changing the level of movement, e.g. moving the bar too high or low from the middle of the chest, there is a possibility of injury, as well as the involvement of other muscles, which will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.
• Another very important point, which often ignored - this is a strictly vertical position of the brushes. You can often find athletes who perform the exercise incorrectly - with their hands bent towards the head.

Bench Press Option #2

There is also a second execution option, when the movement begins with squeezing up. With this method of pressing, the barbell is placed on the bench restraints in the chest area. This option is relevant when there is no one to insure while performing the exercise..

Bench Press Option #3

The exercise can be performed in a power rack. The bar in its initial position is on the stops on the sides. The movement begins from the lowest point of the amplitude. this version of the barbell press considered the safest of all presented, because if the barbell falls, the bar will remain on the stops and will not crush the athlete.

This exercise is auxiliary and is aimed at overcoming the so-called training “plateau”, when progress on the scales has stopped. In other cases it should not be performed. It is best to perform the exercise in a power rack. The exercise gives maximum load on the pectoral muscles due to the fact that the amplitude during execution is short and does not allow stretching the muscles of the chest and shoulder.

Bench Press Grip Width

Proper placement of the hands on the bar affects the placement of the forearms, which should be vertical at the bottom of the range. This is what will be the basis of the steam grip. But, despite this, there are other options for placing the hands on the barbell.

So, The bench press can be performed with a narrow or wide grip.

1. A narrow grip shifts the load to the triceps and the center of the pectoral muscles,
2. and the bench press as wide as possible helps to better stretch and fill the chest muscles with blood.

Doing a bench press narrow grip , some athletes complain of pain in the wrist joints, as well as in the shoulders. This is due to an uncomfortable position (non-physiological for some) and curvature of the spinal column.

Wide grip engages outer part pectoral muscles and anterior deltoid muscle, and the load on the triceps is reduced. The danger of such a decision- this is an increased load on elbow joints, ligaments of the anterior deltoid muscle and shoulder joint. Disadvantage: reduced amplitude.

What position should the barbell be lowered to?

As already mentioned, the barbell should be lowered to the middle - the peak of the pectoral muscles.

However there is various techniques, For example, guillotine barbell press. It is believed that this technique allows for a strong stretch of the pectoral muscles and increases the effectiveness of the press for those who do not feel the effect of the classical technique.

There is also a bench press in which the barbell falls below the pectoral muscles(solar plexus area) - recommended for strength development. But in both the first and second options, there is a chance of injury. Both when pressing the barbell at the level of the collarbone and at the level of the solar plexus, you can feel the fatigue of the anterior deltoid muscle faster than when pressing from the pectoral muscles.

How to place your feet

The legs should be placed wide, by the way, in the press to the maximum, when lifting heavy weight with the “bridge”, the legs are not just position fixers. They are under tension when squeezing sports equipment along with the back muscles, triceps, abdominal muscles and, of course, the pectoral muscles. In the classic version of the exercise, the legs serve as a support, with the help of them the athlete maintains the position and does not fall to the side after the swaying barbell.

Features of the bench press with a bridge

The bridge bench press is used for training using maximum weights, since this technique uses almost all the muscles of the body. The bridge press is a position in which the back is arched. The benches only touch the shoulder blades, which need to be connected as much as possible, and the buttocks. Closed shoulder blades, maximum wide grip and deflection greatly reduce the range of motion. When pressing using a bridge, a large number of muscles are involved, the main of which are: latissimus muscles backs.

You should perform the bench press at the beginning of your workout.

• For weight gain you need to adhere to the traditional scheme, namely 3-5 approaches with 8-12 repetitions.
• To work for strength approaches can be done from two to six, and repetitions - no more than five.

This exercise can be performed either solo or included in a workout, performing 15-20 repetitions of 3-4 sets with light weight. For women, the barbell press can be replaced, in which the barbell is stabilized, as opposed to free weights.

Bench Press Assistance Exercises

1. Incline Dumbbell Press– this exercise can be performed as an additional load after the bench press to concentrate on working the pectoral muscles, but it can also be done before the bench press as a warm-up exercise and pre-fatigue of the muscles, especially the upper pectorals.
2. Lying dumbbell fly– the exercise should be performed after various presses to stretch and isolate the pectoral muscles.
3. Bringing hands together in crossover– an excellent exercise for refining the chest muscles. It can be performed instead of dumbbell flyes while lying down. And also this exercise can be done using an expander or fitness bands.

Equipment is used only in cases where it is really needed! For example, gloves can be worn if the notches on the fingerboard are not sufficiently pronounced and your hands slip. It is very dangerous! But the best choice for reliable fixation is not gloves, but magnesium or talc. Bandages are useful when performing exercises with heavy weight, or when there is a joint injury.

How to replace the bench press

The barbell press can be replaced with a dumbbell bench press or a Smith machine press. IN gym found, which will not be superfluous in working out the chest muscles. It is also important to bring your arms together in a standing crossover. Any kind of exercise will do at home; it’s best to perform them with your hands placed narrowly or widely. The most the best option are push-ups with an expander on the back.

Conclusion

The bench press is a basic, highly effective chest development exercise that cannot be ignored. The bench press should be included in the training process after preliminary training of the muscles, or you should work with a light weight to hone your technique.

Bench press in video format

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Genus. 1984 Trained since 1999 Trained since 2007. Candidate of Masters in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and South Russia according to AWPC. Champion of the Krasnodar region according to IPF. 1st category weightlifting. 2-time winner of the Krasnodar Territory championship in t/a. Author of more than 700 articles on fitness and amateur athletics. Author and co-author of 5 books.

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Classic bench press

Lifter Bench Press

Weight and reps for beginners

Load by muscle group

Description of the exercise

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